Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!uunet!ogicse!unmvax!bbx!bbxsda!scott
From: scott@bbxsda.UUCP (Scott Amspoker)
Newsgroups: comp.lang.c
Subject: Re: realloc() (was: Re: Safe coding practices)
Message-ID: <1710@bbxsda.UUCP>
Date: 10 Feb 91 17:23:45 GMT
References: <23975:Jan2516:36:5891@kramden.acf.nyu.edu> <1991Jan30.121425.16882@unhd.unh.edu> <00066@jimi.UUCP>
Reply-To: scott@bbxsda.UUCP (Scott Amspoker)
Organization: Basis International,  Albuquerque, NM
Lines: 19

In article <00066@jimi.UUCP> rob@jimi.UUCP writes:
>  My understanding has always been that if realloc() fails (returns NULL),
>ALL access to the previously allocated block is gone. It makes no difference
>whether you keep the original ptr or not.
>
>  This has stuck in my head because of a particularly nasty bug due to
>assuming that the original ptr was still valid after the failure. But I can't
>seem to find an adequate reference to back up my 'understanding'.

You're not imagining things.  There was a time when that was true.  We've
also had to deal with that "feature".  As for the present, someone has 
already posted a reference stating that realloc() must preserve the 
original data if it fails.

-- 
Scott Amspoker                       | 
Basis International, Albuquerque, NM |     This space available
(505) 345-5232                       | 
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